Game apparatus



June 14, 1938. E. KRAMER ET AL GAME APPARATUS Filed July 18, 1956 IH I 1I wm mm nj N 610G] w n Ewzm a PM THEIR ATTORNEY.

Patented June 14, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAME APPARATUS ofIllinois Application July 18,

14 Claims.

This invention relates to game apparatus and to an improved ball controlmechanism for use with the type of game having an inclined ball playingsurface or field and a mechanism for projecting balls upon the playingsurface, and. a coin control mechanism for releasing a predeterminednumber of balls into playing position.

The invention resides in the novel construction and combination of partsto be particularly hereinafter described and claimed, and the inventionwill be best understood with reference to the attached drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a game apparatusincorporating the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a Vertical section taken along the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view partly in section taken along the lines 3-3in Fig. 2; and

Fig.4 is a schematic wiring diagram for the novel control device.

The game apparatus generally indicated at 10, Fig. 1, comprises ahousing member having a vertical front wall l2 and an inclinedhorizontal ball playing surface or field l4 including an end block l6having vertical edge portions l8 and 20,

the latter being disposed parallel to the housing side wall portion I 3and spaced therefrom for the accommodation of a plunger type of ballpro- 30 jector 22.

Forming a race-way for the balls projected from the projector 22, is anelongated strip 26 extended above the surface M by suitable spacers 26'parallel to and at a distance from the side wall portion l3 of thehousing member and sub-. stantially co-extensive with the edge portionof the block l6.

Guideways for returning and storing balls are provided in the form ofrail portions 28 suitably and variously disposed upon the playingsurface [4 in a manner to guide played or returning balls moving underforce of gravity into a substantially elongated guideway 30, comprisedof a pair of parallel guides 28' having an upper entrance end'32 and alower exit end 34 disposed adjacent the plunger 24 of the projectingmechanism 22.

The directional disposition of the guide rails 28' of the guideway 30 isnot necessarily restricted to the particular form shown in Fig. 1,butmay be varied conveniently depending, among other things, upon thetilt of the playing surface l4 and the particular arrangement of thegame or playing surface desired in a given instance.

Positioned at the upper entrance end 32 of the guideway 30 is a passoveror return switch 36 of 1936, Serial No. 91,355

a construction to be particularly describedhereafter. Intermediate theentrance end 32 and the exit 34 of the guideway 33 is a second passoverswitch 38, and positioned relative thereto in a descending directiontoward the lower end 34 is a gate or barrier 43 which may be suitablyformed from U-shaped wire or the like having vertically disposed legs 42adapted to pass through holes 44 in the surface I 4 and supportablyengage a crossbar lift 46 therebelow, in such manner that the gate 40may be raised relative to the guide Way 30 to permit the passage ordescent of balls from the entrance 32 toward the exit 34 of theguideway.

At the lower exit end 34 of the guideway is a barrier or restrainingmeans 43 disposed on the surface l4 and across the longitudinallyextensive path between the side rails 28 of the guideway 30 in a mannernormally to obstruct the passage of balls through the exit end of theguideway and into the race-way l5. Immediately behind the barrier 43 isan aperture through the horizontal surface partition l4 andcommunicating with the interior of the housing therebelow. Immediatelybehind the aperture 25 is a third passover switch 52 which, like thefirst and second passover switches 36 and 38, respectively, alreadymentioned, are disposed with their actuating fingers or arms 54 (Fig. 2)co-extensive with the longitudinal axis of the guideway 33.

The passover switches 36, 38 and 52, as shown in enlarged detail in Fig.2, are comprised of a pair of elongated and relatively flexible oryieldable conducting members having contacts 56 and 58 in substantiallyconfronting relation adjacent one of the extremities of said members,and secured in confronting relation to one another by insulating spacers51 in the usual and well known, manner; the uppermost contact springcarrying the contact 58, for example, has an operating arm or finger 54secured thereto and adapted to lie in an elongated slot 53 and toprotrude therefrom slightly above the surface of the ball playing fieldI4 in such manner that the ball rolling over the finger 54 will causethe upper contact spring bearing the contact 58 to engage the lowercontact 56. The switches 36 and 38 are identical in construction withthat just described.

An electro-magnetic gate operating means generally indicated at 60 inFig. 2, is provided for the gate 40 and comprises a solenoid 63suspended with its longitudinal axis normal to the ball playing surfaceI4 underneath the latter and spaced therefrom by a suitable spacingcollar, 63.

The plunger 64 of the solenoid is adapted to rest under direction ofgravity in such manner that its upper end 65 lies an appreciabledistance below the uppermost end of the solenoid 6B and the latter ismounted respective to the gate 40, so that the lift bar 46 of the latterwill overlie an apertured end plate 61 of the solenoid and is adapted tobe engaged by the upper end 65 of the plunger or core 64 when the latteris pulled up under influence of the solenoid winding so that the gate 40is raised in a vertical direction away gronhthe upper surface of theball playing mem- Also disposed beneath the horizontal partition memberor ball playing member i4 is a ball release arm 68 (Fig. 3) pivoted atone extremity 9! on the under side of the member !4 and extended in adirection substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of theguideway 36 to have its righthand extremity suitably bent or formed witha laterally extensive ball engaging portion 72 which normally underliesthe aperture 25 at the lower exit end 34 of the guideway.

This ball releasing member 68 is bent between two relatively offsetlongitudinally extensive portions 69 and 69, and the latter portion inthe assembled device overlies the upper end plate ll of a secondsolenoid l and also an apertured portion 90 therein through which theplunger of the solenoid extends when the latter is energized, in suchmanner that the ball release arm 68 can be raised'into effectiveposition so that the ball engaging arm 12 thereof will assume the dottedline position shown in Fig. 2. The solenoid H! is suspended by suitablespacing collars l3 and in general is mounted on the under side of thepanel I4 in the same manner as the companion solenoid 60.

It will be observed that either of the solenoids 60 or 10 is operable toraise the release arm 68 into effective position, and it is pointed outthat the energization of solenoid 89 not only raises the arm 68 but thegate 40 as well, while the energization of solenoid 10 similarly raisesthe arm 68 and is effective to move a ball resting in the aperture 25over the barrier 48 for positioning before the plunger 24.

In order to provide against the possibility of a balls being ejectedfrom the guideway by the operation of the ball release arm 68, a hood Tis positioned over the aperture 25 and is dimensioned to provideadequate clearance for balls rising over the barrier 48.

Mounted in the front wall l2 of the housing of I the game apparatus is aconventional coin release mechanism of which only the slide H is shown,this type of device being widely known in the art, and in the presentinstance forming no part of the invention per se, the structure andoperation thereof is not set forth in detail.

Positioned relative to the coin slide II within the housing is a masterswitch 16 having an extended arm 18 disposed for operative engagementwith the slide member II when the latter is pushed inwardly of the wall12 to assume the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 whereby the switch16 is closed to initiate the operation of the control mechanism, as willbe hereafter fully described.

Operation Assuming a given number of balls, for example five, to havegravitated into the guideway 30 from the upper or entrance end 32thereof, these balls will be retained by the gate 40 in itsnormallylowered or obstructing position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

At this time it will be observed that the passover or rollover switch 38will be in closed circuit condition by the weight of the balls restingthereon. At this time also a sixth ball, also shown in dotted lines inFig. l and in full lines in Fig. 2, will be resting in the aperture 25at the lower or exit end 34 of the guideway 30.

If now the coin slidelll be moved inwardly to assume the dotted lineposition of Fig. 1, the master switch 16 will be closed and the solenoid60 will be energized (see general circuit of Fig. 4) and both the gate40 and the ball release arm 68 will be raised (see Fig. 2) by impact ofthe upper end 65 of armature 64 against the crossbar 46 on gate 40, suchthat the ball heretofore resting in the aperture 25 will be raised to aheight corresponding to that of the barrier 48 and will thereafter rollover the barrier and into position before the plunger member 24. Bymanipulation of the handle 23 the ball positioned before the plunger maybe projected out upon the playing board eventually to find its way backinto the entrance 32 of the guideway 30, and the ball will pass over theswitch 36 and close a circuit from the battery 80 (Fig. 4) through thesolenoid H! to cause the plunger 12 thereof to be raised andconsequently the ball releasing arm 68 to be raised also for movement ofanother ball over the barrier 48.

Referring particularly to Fig. 4, the circuit connections for thislatter operation include a'conductor 82 to one side of switch 36,conductor 84 from the other side of switch 36 to one side of switch 52,conductor 86 from the other side of switch 52 to the winding of solenoidand thence by conductor 88 back to the battery 80.

During the cycle of operation just above described, itwill be recalledthat there were a number of balls positioned behind the aperture 25 atthe time the played ball returned to the entrance end 32 of the guideway30, this latter ball actuating switch 36 as it moved toward the gate 40,so that when the switch 36 was closed by the returning ball the switch52 was closed by the waiting balls in the lower end of the guidewayandthe circuit of solenoid 10 thereby completed for the ejection ofanother ball as described.

The foregoing operation will be repeated so long as there is a ballresting upon the lower rollover switch 52 and so long as there arereturning balls to operate the switch 35. Beginning with the first ballplayed, the spent or played balls pass successively over the switch 36and are aligned behind the gate 4:: awaiting subsequent release foranother cycle of operation, and the number of balls provided for such acycle of operation corresponding to the insertion of one coin in themachine, is such that the total number'of balls, less one, to be playedwhen aligned behind the gate 40 will leave the last ball of the groupout of contact with the switch 36 so that it will be apparent that oneball will always be left over the aperture 25 after the last ball of thealigned group of played or spent balls has passed over the switch 36,there being no further balls to operate the switch 52. This condition isillustrated in Fig. l by the dotted line representation of ballsawaiting release behind the gate 40 and one ball awaiting release in theaperture 25, it being observed that there is no ball on the switch 52while the switch 38 is closed by the aligned balls awaiting operation ofthe coin slide switch to raise the gate and release the group for acycle of play.

It will be apparent that our novel ball control mechanism in addition toproviding an effective and simple means of releasing balls for play, hasin the novelty of the operation and disposition of its working parts anadditional amusement or entertainment utility, and while we have recitedin specific detail the construction and features of our invention forillustrative purposes we do not desire to be restricted to suchrecitations but wish to avail ourselves of all the modifications andvariations coming within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. Ball controlled means for use in ball game apparatus having ballmoving means and an inclined playboard, said ball controlled means beingoperable to automatically release a determined number of stored ballsfor play one at a time and including an inclined storing member withelectrically operable means for releasing balls therefrom one at a time,a manually operable control device for initially actuating said lastmentioned electrical means, and the latter thereafter being operable bythe return of played balls to said storing means until all but one ofsaid determined number of balls have been played and returned to saidstoring member.

2, A control device for game apparatus of the type having means forprojecting balls or marbles upon a playing field and means for returningplayed balls to aball retaining and guiding means, the said controldevice comprising: inclined retaining means for guiding balls and havingball entrance and exit extremities; a gate member intermediate saidextremities and a ball-restraining member and a ball-ejector at saidexit end and operable to eject balls for gravitating movement to saidprojector; electrical means for opening said gate and operating saidejector simultaneously; electrical means for operating said ejectorindependently of said gate; switch means within said guiding meansoperated by played balls returning to said guiding means for operatingsaid ejector once for each returning ball, and switch means adjacent theexit end of said guiding means for preventing operation of said ejectorby said first switch means after a predetermined number of balls havebeen ejected.

3. Ball controlled mechanism for use in a game apparatus of the typehaving an inclined playing surface and means for projecting ballsthereon, and a master control, said ball control means comprising aninclined guideway on said surface and having an entrance and an exitopening with said entrance opening posi tioned to receive projectedballs, a gate member positioned between said openings, a barrier at saidexit opening, ball releasing means for moving a ball into position togravitate past said barrier, means for opening said gate member andsimultaneously operating said ball releasing member, means for actuatingsaid releasing member independently of said gate member, means actuatedby projected balls for operating said ball releasing memberindependently of said gate a predetermined number of times, and meansoperable by said master control for actuating the aforesaid means whichsimultaneously opens said gate and operates said ball release member. a

4. Means for releasing a predetermined num ber of balls for play in agame apparatus of the type having an inclined playboard and means forprojecting balls and the like thereon, said means comprising aball-storing guide having an entrance and an exit end for receivingplayed balls and guiding them in gravitating movement toward saidprojecting means; restraining means operatively associated with saidguide for preventing movement of balls therein toward said exit end; asecond restraining means for preventing issuance of balls from said exitend; a first electrically operable means for rendering said firstrestraining means operatively ineffective; a second electricallyoperated means for issuing balls from said exit end of said guide pastsaid second restraining means; means controlled by a ball-operatedswitch and a manually controlled switch to operate said firstelectrically operable means to release a determined number of balls insaid guide toward said second restraining means and also to actuate saidsecond electrically operated means to issue a ball from said exit end; athird switch means operatively associated with said guide for actuationby a ball therein to connect said second electrically operated means inan actuating circuit; and switch means operated by a played ball movingin said guide toward said first restraining means for operating saidsecond electrically operated means to issue balls from said exit end insaid guide so long as there is a ball in said guide to actuate saidthird switch means.

5. Automatic control mechanism for use in game apparatus of the typehaving an inclined ball playing board and means for propelling a ballonto said board, said mechanism comprising an inclined guideway havingan entrance at its upper end and an exit at its lower end, a gatebetween said ends and dividing said guideway into upper and lowersections, means blocking said exit end, discharge mechanism operable toposition a ball for movement past said blocking means, gate operatingmechanism to move said gate into inefiective position, means operable bysaid gate operating mechanism when the latter is actuated to operatesaid discharge mechanism, ball operated means in said upper sectioncontrolling the operation of said discharge mechanism, ball operatedmeans in said lower section eifective to prevent the operation of saiddischarge mechanism when there are fewer than two balls in said lowersection, ball operated means in said upper section for actuating saidgate operating mechanism, and manually operable means co-operable withsaid last mentioned ball operated means to actuate said gate operatingmechanism and move the same into ineffective position so as to permitballs restrained by said gate to move into said lower section.

6. Object storing and releasing mechanism in cluding an inclinedguideway having an upper entrance end and a lower exit end, a stationarybarrier at said lower end, a movable barrier between said ends anddividing said guideway into upper and lower sections, a determinednumber of objects normally positioned in said upper section, one objectnormally positioned in said lower section, an ejecting device in saidlower section for positioning an object for gravitating movement pastsaid stationary barrier, a first control means in said lower section, ata point above the position of the said object normally therein andoperable when there is more than one said object in said lower sectionto render said ejecting device operative, a second control device insaid upper section near said movable barrier, manually operable controlmeans and mechanism co-operable with said second control means foroperating said movable barrier to permit movement of objects from saidupper to said lower sections, said second control device being operatedby an object in said upper section, together with a third control devicenear the entrance of said guideway and engageable by said objects as thelatter gravitate toward said movable barrier to operate said ejectingdevice once for each object moving into said upper section, means formoving an object ejected from said exit end back to said entrance end,and mechanism operable by said movable barrier to operate said ejectingdevice.

7. A control device for game apparatus of the type having means formoving objects onto an inclined playing field and means for eifectingreturn of said objects to a retaining means, said control devicecomprising an inclined guideway for said objects and having entrance andexit portions, said exit portion being positioned near saidobject-moving means for gravitating movement of objects to the latter, agate member between said entrance and exit portions, an objectrestraining member and an object ejector at said exit portion, manuallycontrolled electrical means for opening said gate and operating saidejector simultaneously, electrical means for operating said ejectorindependently of said gate, return switch means positioned for operationby objects returning into said guideway for operating said ejector oncefor each object returned, switch means near said exit portion of theguideway for rendering said ejector inoperative by said first mentionedreturn switch means after a predetermined number of objects have beenejected from said exit portion, together with switch means arranged insaid guideway between said return switch and said gate member andoperably associated with said manually controlled electrical means forrendering the latter ineffective when there are no objects between saidgate member and said entrance portion.

8. Automatic control mechanism for game apparatus of the type havingmeans for propelling balls one at a time onto an inclined playing field,means for returning played balls to a storage member, and a mastercontrol, said automatic control device comprising an inclined guidewayfor balls on said playing field and having an entrance end and a lowerexit end, a gate positioned between said ends and dividing said guidewayinto upper and lower sections, said gate being normally disposed toblock movement of balls from the upper to the lower section, blockingmeans at said exit end preventing movement of balls therefrom, anejector near said exit end and operable to position a ball for movementpast said blocking means, electrically operated means for opening saidgate and operating said ejector simultaneously, electrical means foroperating said ejector independently of said gate, return switch meanspositioned for operation by played balls returning to said guideway andeffective to operate said ejector once for each ball returned, switchmeans adjacent said exit end of the guideway for preventing operation ofsaid electrical ejector operating means by said first mentioned returnswitch means after a predetermined number of balls have been ejectedfrom said lower section, together with switch means operated by saidmaster control for opening said gate to release balls stored in saidupper section for movement into said lower section.

9. Ball control mechanism including an inclined ball guideway having anupper entrance and a lower exitfa'normally closed gate between saidentrance and exit, an obstruction at said exit end to prevent movementof balls out of the guideway, an ejector near said obstacle fordischarging balls one at a time out of the guideway past the obstacle,electrical mechanism for simultaneously opening said gate and operatingsaid ejector, and control means for said electrical mechanism,electrical means for operating said ejector independently of said gate,a ball operated switch positioned in said guideway near said entranceend for operating said last-mentioned electrical means each time a ballmoves into the guideway, a ball-operated switch in said guideway betweensaid gate and said obstacle and operable to prevent the operation ofsaid last-mentioned electrical ejector operating means by said switchnear the entrance end when there are fewer than a predetermined numberof balls in H the guideway between said gate and said obstacle, togetherwith means for causing the movement of ejected balls one at a time backinto the entrance end of the guideway.

10. Control mechanism including an inclined runway having an exit at itslower end and an entrance at its upper end, a determined number ofmovable objects normally disposed in said runway, a movable barrierbetween said ends and dividing the runway into upper and lower sections,mechanism operable to move said barrier into ineffective position topermit said objects to move into said lower section, a control device insaid runway between the entrance end thereof and said barrier andco-operable with said barrier moving mechanism to render the latteroperable when there is an object in said upper section engaging saidcontrol device, an obstacle near said exit end, ejecting mechanismoperable to raise an object for movement past said obstacle, a secondcontrol device in said runway near said obstacle and co-operable withsaid ejecting mechanism to render the latter operative when there is anobject engaging said second control device in said lower section,together with a third control device in the upper section of said runwayand co-operable with said ejecting mechanism and said second controldevice to operate the ejecting mechanism each time an object moves intosaid upper section toward said barrier, means operable to cause themovement of objects ejected from said exit end back toward said entranceend of the runway, and means operatively relating said ejectingmechanism with said barrier moving mechanism to eject an object when thelatter mechanism is operated.

11. Control mechanism including inclined guiding means for storinggravitating objects in alignment, means normally preventing movement ofobjects out of the lower end of said guiding means, means fordischarging an object from said lower end of the guiding means,object-operated means near the upper end of said guiding means forcausing the operation of said discharging means each time an objectmoves into said upper end, movable barrier means in said guiding means,mechanism operated by a manual control for moving said barrier meansinto ineffective position and simultaneously operating said dischargingmeans, and control means near said stopping means and operable whenthere are less than a determined number of objects aligned behind saidstopping means to render said discharging means inoperative by saidobject operated means in the manner aforesaid.

12. Ball control mechanism including an inclined guideway having anupper entrance end and a lower exit end with stopping means at said exitend to prevent movement of balls out of the guideway, a movably mountedbarrier in said guideway between said ends, a predetermined number ofballs normally disposed in said runway behind said movable barrier, aball nor mally stored in the lower part of said. runway beyond saidmovable barrier, and behind said stopping means, an ejector operable tomove a ball positioned behind said stopping means into a position togravitate past said stopping means, an electrical device to operate saidmovable barrier and said ejector simultaneously, manually operableswitch means to operate said electrical device so as to release saidpredetermined number of balls for movement past said barrier intoposition behind said stopping means and also toefiect movement of saidball normally behind said stopping means out of the guideway, electricalmeans for operating said ejector independently of said barrier, togetherwith switch means near said entrance end for operating saidlastmentioned electrical means each time a ball moves into said guidewayfrom said entrance end, and means for causing the movement of ejectedballs back into the upper entrance end of the guideway.

13. Ball control mechanism for game apparatus including an inclined ballplaying board and means at the lower end of said board for projecting aball toward the upper end thereof, said ball control mechanism includingspaced guide means arranged on said board and providing a guidewayhaving an upper entrance end, into which projected balls are adapted togravitate, and a lower exit end, the latter terminating adjacent saidprojecting means, a gate arranged across said guideway between saidentrance and exit ends, electro-magnetic means for opening said gate topermit balls to pass toward said exit end, barrier means arranged atsaid exit end, a pivoted ejector arm arranged below said board andhaving an end portion movable up through the latter to engage and ejecta ball positioned before said barrier means for movement toward saidprojecting means; said electromagnetic gate-operating means beingoperably associated with said ejector arm to move the latter in ejectingoperation when said gate is open, a second electro-magnetic meansarranged to operate said ejecting arm independently of the operation ofsaid first-mentioned electromagnetic means, said guideway normallyhaving a predetermined number of balls aligned therein behind said gateand adapted when said gate is open to gravitate into position behindsaid barrier for successive engagement of the lowermost ball by saidejecting arm when the latter is operated, manually operable switch meansfor energizing said first-mentioned electro-magnetic means to open saidgate and eject the lowermost ball behind said barrier, return switchmeans arranged near said entrance end for operation by projected ballsentering said guideway to energize said second electro-magnetic meansand effect operation of said ejecting arm once for each projected ballentering said entrance end, together with switch means arranged behindsaid barrier and in circuit with said second electromagnetic means andeffective to render the latter inoperative when there are fewer than twoballs behind said barrier, whereby one ball will always be retainedbehind the barrier.

14. The device of claim 13 further characterized by the provision ofswitch means in said guideway between said gate and said entrance endand arranged in circuit with said manually operable switch so as torender the latter inoperative when there are no balls in the guidewaybetween said entrance and said gate.

EUGENE KRAMER. PERCY SHIELDS. MILTON GITELSON.

